WATCH: U2 go unplugged for 'Ordinary Love' Oscars performance

U2 went unplugged for its Oscar performance Sunday night (March 2) with a simplistic take on the Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom song "Ordinary Love."

Following a rousing performance from Pharrell Williams and a similarly quiet turn from Karen O and Ezra Koenig, U2 members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. took to the Academy Awards' stage with armed simply with a microphone, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass and a small drum.

Unlike Pharrell and O who had somewhat flashy performance sets, U2 took the stage as it was, with artisan lightbulbs and backing images of African art and Nelson Mandela flashing across a screen in the background.

As is to be expected from the seasoned rock band, U2's Oscar performance was a solid showing, with Bono's vocals soaring smoothly above the light instrumentation from the rest of the group.

Played not only as a part of the Oscars music-heavy lineup but also as a tribute of a sorts to Mandela, who passed away on December 5. The room was notably quiet, though U2 were met with a rousing standing ovation soon after its conclusion.

Watch U2's performance at the 2014 Oscars below:

"Ordinary Love" is one of four tracks nominated for Best Original Song at the 86th Academy Awards. It joins Karen O and Spike Jonze's "The Moon Song," Idina Menzel's "Let It Go" and Pharrell William's "Happy."

U2 won the Golden Globe for "Ordinary Love" in January, making it a major frontrunner for the Oscar.

Tags

U2, Oscars